Consumer education is needed to deliver the knowledge, skills and values to help adults cope with life, understand their rights and make informed decisions and obtain redress.

Consumer education is an important EU and United Nations priority. In most country’s formal education systems however, it is not a single discipline in its own right, but a cross-curricular subject involving most of the school curriculum. Its impact and support at governmental level varies across countries and so projects and networks (particularly Europe-wide) are essential to bring practitioners together and disseminate good practice.
Consumers are asked to be critical and informed consumers but may not know how to acquire the appropriate skills The formal school system in many countries has failed to deliver these skills and values and adults need consumer education through both formal and informal means. With increasingly varied societies consumer education will help to produce active responsible citizens, while citizenship is an essential element of the delivery of consumer education to adults.

Increasing globalisation and business power necessitate ethical and sustainable business practices and dialogue with an informed, educated and empowered consumer will strengthen the market place to the benefit of both consumers and business.

eucen will be an Associate Partner in this project. For further information contact the Projects Department.